Lawyer traumatised after Pretoria shooting

Pretoria - An attorney who witnessed the shooting of a
policeman and an orderly at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday said she
was traumatised by the ordeal.

"I never expected a shooting to happen in
court," Mpho Nefuri of Nefuri Attorneys said outside the court.

"The court was in session at the time and the
magistrate managed to escape. I saw a policeman being shot, blood was oozing
from his head. A court orderly was also injured while trying to cool down the
situation. I think he was grazed by a bullet."

She said she saw one man, who was standing trial,
shooting.

"The suspect had a gun and fired two shots.
Everything went upside down and we all started running for our lives."

Nefuri said security at the court needed to improve.

"I’m very traumatised because there is no safety
here. I can't say it's safe to work here. How does a gun end up in the
courtroom?

"They [the State] need to pull their socks up
regarding our security. We are dealing here with offenders and people who need
rehabilitation. It is important that we get good security," said Nefuri.

Gauteng police said they were still looking for the two
men involved in the shooting. The pair, who were due to appear in court, came
out of the holding cells into the courtroom and started shooting earlier on
Tuesday.

The court orderly was slightly wounded and the police
officer who came to testify was seriously wounded, police spokesperson Khensani
Magoai said.

Earlier, ER24 paramedics said the police officer was shot
in the head.

The two men, who were appearing on charges of house
robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms, escaped and hijacked a Ford Ikon
outside the court.

"They abandoned the vehicle in Atteridgeville and
hijacked a red Polo," Magoai said.

The police statement sought to clarify initial
uncertainty about what happened.

The National Prosecuting Authority could not be reached
for comment.

Scores of police crime scene experts were moving in and
out of the court on Tuesday afternoon.